The invention relates to apparatus for manipulating exposed and developed photographic films in copying machines, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for manipulating relatively large rolls of exposed and developed customer roll films which are spliced together end-to-end so that each roll constitutes or includes a convoluted elongated web consisting of a large number of coherent customer roll films.
In order to operate a modern high-speed copying machine to capacity, it is necessary to rapidly replace a roll of copied photographic films with a fresh roll so that the length of intervals between copying of successive rolls of films is reduced to a minimum. In accordance with a presently known proposal, a fresh roll including a web of coherent exposed and developed customer films is maintained in a position of readiness adjacent the expiring roll so that the space previously occupied by the fully expired roll can be immediately occupied by the fresh roll in automatic response to axial shifting of the fresh roll toward the station for the roll which is being copied. The leader of the web of the fresh roll is attached to the core of a takeup reel before the web of the fresh roll is threaded into the copying machine, and the fresh roll and the associated takeup reel are held in positions of readiness in anticipation of expiration (completed copying) of the running web which then advances through the copying machine That portion of the fresh web which extends between the roll and the takeup reel is spaced apart from the path for the running web by a distance which at least equals the width of the web. Such apparatus employ two film guides, namely one for the running web (this film guide extends from the roll of expiring web to the takeup reel which collects the expiring web), and the other for the fresh web (this other film guide extends from the roll of fresh web to the takeup reel whose core or hub is connected with the leader of the fresh web). Once the copying of the running web is completed, the assembly of parts including the roll of fresh web, the takeup reel which is connected to the leader of the fresh web and the other film guide is shifted laterally so that the other film guide introduces the fresh web into the copying machine and the copying operation can be resumed. The one film guide, the empty support for the expired roll and the takeup reel which carries the expired (i.e., copied) roll are then adjacent one side of the running web and the filled takeup reel can be replaced with an empty takeup reel prior to threading of a further fresh web from the support, through the one film guide and on to the empty takeup reel. The assembly including the roll of further fresh web, the one film guide and the empty takeup reel is then maintained in a position of readiness for lateral shifting to the operative position as soon as the supply of the then running web is exhausted. The apparatus further comprises certain parts which must be caused to change their positions preparatory to removal of one of the film guides from its operative position and preparatory to advancement of the other film guide to the operative position. As a rule, the leader of a fresh web is threaded by hand so as to advance from the roll, through the corresponding film guide and to be attached to an empty takeup reel. Such mode of replacing copied webs necessitates practically continuous presence of at least one attendant at the copying station, and the space requirements of the apparatus are excessive; this is due primarily to the fact that the mechanism which is used to automatically shift the assembly of a fresh roll, a film guide and an empty takeup reel (with the leader of the web of the fresh roll attached thereto) is rather bulky. Moreover, the initial and maintenance costs of such apparatus are substantial.